Description:

1931 (July 29) Australia-England #214 CC Wakefield & Co cover and enclosed letter carried by JA Mollison in a DH60M Gipsy Moth on his 8 day 19 hour flight (breaking CWA Scott's record set barely two months earlier) originally franked Kingsford Smith 3d blue tied 'DARWIN NT/-6JE31/AUSTRALIA' with 6d violet later added tied 'WYNDHAM/28JUL31/WESTN AUSTRALIA' datestamp, re-addressed on arrival with Great Britain KGV 3d violet and 1½d brown tied oval London '7AUG31' Registered cancel and blue R label added, Cat $4,000. [After the plane crashed on take-off from Darwin on June 7 it was completely rebuilt with Lord Wakefield's support for the subsequent flight; the enclosed letter dated May 28 has a postscript added referring to the '...unfortunate crash ...and...fresh attempt...'; illustrated in AAMC (p.56) and the only one known carried on both flights]